Unlike ESPN, NFL Network hasn’t undergone significant upheaval among its throng of players-turned-analysts. But one fairly big name with a gold jacket could be going elsewhere.
Via Michael McCarthy of Sporting News, Michael Irvin’s contract at NFLN will expire before the start of the 2016 season.
The timing is a bit odd; it’s far better for these deals to expire before other networks have finalized their lineups for the coming campaign. The fact that the news is trickling out now suggests that Irvin hasn’t gotten the kind of financial offer he wants to stay put. If other networks show interest, NFL Network may up the ante.
Per McCarthy, the league-owned network hopes to keep Irvin around.
If Irvin leaves, there aren’t many other options. NBC, CBS, and FOX presumably don’t have open seats. McCarthy calls ESPN a “natural landing spot,” given that Irvin worked there from 2003 to 2007.
Still, Irvin’s first stint in Bristol was rocky at times. In 2005, ESPN suspended Irvin after he failed to disclose that he had been arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia. Also, former ESPN ombudsman George Solomon criticized remarks from Irvin suggesting that Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo’s speed can be attributed to possible African-American ancestry.